Each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Ephesians 5:33

Father God, cause each of these women to honor their marriages and remain faithful to their husbands in every way. Help them to love one another as You love them so that their relationship will point others to You. Holy One, we also ask that You protect each woman from every kind of impurity. Enable them to resist the compromises that may be present in the surrounding culture.
Holy Spirit, if any of the ladies are experiencing the unexpected journey of walking through the valley of their husband’s sexual brokenness, and are living with feelings of distrust, shame, fear, anger, betrayal, and grief, please guide them to the path of healing and healthy sexuality. Grant them courage to share their pain with the counselors who are onsite to listen and be a safe place for the ladies to unload and share their burdens during this retreat.

Lord, we ask that You give the couples in ministry energy, desire, unity, and intentionality to continue to invest in the growth of their marriage. Help them combat subtle isolation. Let creativity along with intentionality abound when childcare is not available. Provide someone with whom they can share their journey, someone who can be an encourager who will hold them accountable.

A long history of Catholic tradition is under threat. The three main Christian groups (Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran) are lacking in spiritual vitality. They are rapidly declining into irrelevance while agnosticism, New Age and different forms of Eastern religious beliefs are increasing, as is general spiritual apathy, even among those who notionally believe in God. Pray for an awakening in the mainline churches that draws the many nominal Christians into personal faith in Christ.

Evangelicals are few, underfunded and divided. There is an evangelical presence in only 28 out of 210 municipalities, so church planting teams are clearly needed. The tiny evangelical population often reflects the divisive culture of the South Slavs – pray for unity and the formation of an Evangelical Alliance. Of the few dozen fellowships, almost none are self-funding; most pastors rely on secular employment or external financial support, and there is little teaching in churches on stewardship and giving. Pray for Slovene believers to rise to the challenge of personal evangelism, to support their own pastors and even to send missionaries.

About the author

Debbie Suits grew up in Naples, Italy, and fell in love with the city and its people. She came close to returning to Italy, but ended up in Madrid, Spain, where she and her husband worked for 16 years. They returned to the States due to the special needs of one of their children. She now lives in Denver, CO, with her husband and three kids (ages 24, 22 and 18). Debbie is a bi-lingual nanny, companion to the elderly, and Color Consultant. She is the author of the 30 Days of Prayer and is a representative of Get Hope Global (micro-enterprise loans). Debbie has been a part of Thrive retreats for many years as a Color Consultant and shares a kindred spirit with fellow women who work abroad.